Want a copy of our Guide to the Best Payroll in Canada? Download the full 45-page guide, including our handy comparison chart, by clicking here.
As most business owners know, manual payroll is not only time-consuming, but also risky. The best way to mitigate that risk is to use a dedicated payroll software that automates the process from start to finish. But with so many payroll providers out there, it can be difficult to know which one if the right fit for your business.
Luckily, we’ve done your homework for you. We’ve conducted a head-to-head comparison of two of the top payroll providers in Canada: Knit and Push Operations. To find out how they compare, we’ll look at Knit vs Push Operations on the basis of software, payroll features, HR and benefits, customer service, and cost.
Note: You might have noticed we’re writing about the difference between our service and someone else’s. We’ve done our best to give them a fair shake because we want you to make an informed decision. That said, we think we offer the best payroll service in Canada. Want to give Knit a try? Find out how to get started here.
Every business has different needs, which is why there’s no one-size-fits-all payroll software. Therefore, it’s important to look at who the software is made for and whether it meets your specific requirements.
Push Operations is a cloud-based employee labor management software that’s specifically designed for the needs of restaurants. The software integrates HR, payroll, time tracking, and scheduling into a single platform to simplify restaurant operations. Push Operations is equipped to own the entire employee lifecycle, from onboarding to career growth. Notable companies using Push Operations include Denny’s, Noodlebox, and Hapa Izakaya.
While Push Operations is specifically designed for restaurants, Knit services all other small and medium-sized businesses. Knit specifically brings together HR, payroll, and benefits, to help employers save time and money on back-office administration. Knit’s software is also frequently used by accountants and bookkeepers running payroll for their small business clients.
Once you’ve determined your software needs, it’s important to look at specific payroll features.
Because it is specifically designed for the needs of restaurants, Push Operations boasts some very unique payroll features. Push Operations automatically funnels clocked hours into payroll and then calculates and files the necessary payroll taxes. Push Operations supports multi-wage tracking, and allows users to easily upload earnings like tips, reimbursements, and bonuses for multiple employees. Unlike many other payroll providers on the market, Push Operations also automates tip wage top-ups, daily minimum pay, and shift premiums. All of these features help to reduce the chance of compliance issues and costly manual calculation errors in the fast-paced restaurant industry.
In contrast, Knit offers a number of unique features for accountants and bookkeepers who run payroll for their clients. Unlike Push Operations Knit offers a dedicated accountant dashboard so that accountants and bookkeepers can see all of their clients in one place and easily manage multiple payrolls. Knit also offers employee self-onboarding and self-serve employee portals, which allow employees to go in and change personal information such as their address or banking details, and view important documents such as paystubs, T4s, and ROEs. This kind of self-serve portal is not only appreciated by employees, but it also saves accountants and bookkeepers from time-consuming data entry. Knit also offers handy payroll features for small business owners such as unlimited pay groups and cycles, unlimited income types, multiple pay rates, and auto-run for all salaried payroll. Knit even offers a concierge service that allows companies to hand off their payroll and HR management to Knit.
Whether you’re running a restaurant or a tech startup, every business owner knows that employee management goes beyond payroll. Both Push Operations and Knit aim to support the full employee management cycle with additional features such as HR, time-tracking, and more.
Beyond payroll, Push Operations also support scheduling, time and attendance, and HR management. In the restaurant industry, time-tracking is particularly important and directly related to payroll. As a result, Push Operations has created a time clock that’s specifically designed for restaurant workers. The camera time attendance and mobile app with geo-fencing ensure that employees are not ‘buddy’ punching. The time and attendance feature also allows employers to set parameters for when employees can clock back in from their required meal breaks. Push Operations’ scheduling feature is also highly robust and makes it easy for employers to forecast and track labor budgets against actual cost in real time. Finally, Push Operations boasts an HR module that keeps all employee information in one place with a cloud document repository and esignature capabilities.
Like Push Operations, Knit also goes beyond payroll to help employers manage employee lifecycles. Knit brings payroll, HR, and benefits under one roof so that employers can keep all their information in one place and avoid the burden of duplicate data entry. Knit’s HR features are particularly robust and help employers track historical compensation, set vacation policies, instantly find emergency contacts, store important documents, and more. Knit’s HR features also include self-serve employee portals and a self-onboarding wizard, which streamlines the entire onbaording process for new hires. For current employees, Knit offers a performance management module that allows employers to set objectives, guidelines, and deadlines for end-to-end performance reviews. In terms of benefits, Knit works with its preferred partner Jones Deslauriers Blevins to create custom benefits plans for each company.
No matter what kind of business you’re running, it’s important to be able to resolve payroll issues in a timely manner.
Push Operations offers 24/7, hands-on support from live reps—something that's especially important in the restaurant industry. Push Operations also offers email support and a specific help center for managers.
Knit also offers phone and email support from trained payroll specialists. These payroll specialists are not only up to date on all the current rules and regulations, but they are also familiar with each account so they can provide personalized support at no extra cost. To handle common support questions, Knit also boasts a comprehensive library of support docs and video tutorials that address everything from adding employees to expediting payroll.
One of the final, and often most important aspects of choosing a payroll software, is the cost.
Like some of the other big payroll providers in Canada, Push Operations does not make its pricing publicly available. This is largely because restaurants can have varying needs that may impact software costs. Unfortunately, this does mean that owners will need to contact Push Operations directly in order to receive a quote.
In contrast, Knit makes its pricing available publicly on its website. For complete payroll and most of its HR tools, Knit charges $39, plus $4 per employee per month. For payroll and the full HR suite, Knit charges $39, plus $6 per employee per month. This pricing is all-inclusive, which means that Knit charges no additional fees for off-cycle pay runs, direct deposit, or customer support. It’s also important to note that Knit offers a discounted pricing package for bookkeepers and accountants running payroll for their small business clients.
While both Knit and Push Operations offer payroll services in Canada, the two platforms are designed for very different types of users.
Push Operations is specifically tailored to the payroll and workforce management needs of restaurants. With its robust scheduling tools and unique payroll features such as tip management, Push Operations is the ideal platform for restaurant owners and operators.
On the other hand, Knit is most popular among small to medium-sized businesses of 100 employees or less, and accountants and bookkeepers who run payroll for small businesses. This is largely because of Knit’s dedicated accountant dashboard and its employee self-serve portal, which gives administrators more flexibility and control over payroll. Knit’s pricing is also tailored to the budgets of small businesses looking for an affordable payroll and HR solution.
To find out how Knit stacks up against other payroll providers, read our full Guide to the Best Payroll Software in Canada.
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